Digital Only Subscription
Read the digital SMART Edition of The Times-Tribune on your PC or mobile device, and have 24/7 access to breaking news, local sports, contests, and more at thetimes-tribune.com or on our mobile apps.

Digital Services
Have news alerts sent to your mobile device, read the Smart Edition sign up for daily newsletters, activate your all access, enter contests, take quizzes, download our mobile apps and see the latest e-circulars.

The Panther Racing driver missed both practice sessions and qualifying at Pocono in order to compete in the American Le Mans Series race at Lime Rock Park in Sharon, Conn. He and partner Scott Tucker won the pole for the event and also finished first in the P2 class.

Briscoe will start at the rear of the 24-car field at Pocono due to his absence. The Australian is making only his fifth start of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar season.

He sits 28th in points and sports a best finish of 12th in the Indianapolis 500.

A seven-time IndyCar winner, Briscoe is running a special red, white and blue paint scheme on his No. 4 Chevrolet in honor of the Fourth of July weekend and the 150th anniversary of the Congressional Medal of Honor. In addition, the Panther Racing team will host former Marine and Medal of Honor recipient James E. Livingston at the 2.5-mile triangular track as part of the "Operation: Hire Our Guard" program.

Mann up

Pippa Mann will roll off the starting grid in 19th place in the No. 18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing.

Four days ago, she had no idea she would be competing in today's 400-mile event.

Earlier this week, Coyne called to give her the good news.

"Dale is a great guy, and I am here this weekend because of him," Mann said. "I was told to get on the charter flight on Wednesday morning and we reached an agreement just after 5 p.m. that put me in one of his cars."

The England native said her main goal is to complete all the laps in the event and gain as much experience as possible.

Although she is still adjusting to the challenges of Pocono, Mann is simply excited to be behind the wheel of an IndyCar again. She has raced just twice this season, at Indianapolis and Texas, and completed just 48 laps.

"The uniqueness of the track makes it a lot harder," she said "But overall, I am happy with the way things are going.

"I'm incredibly grateful just to have this opportunity to be on track again this weekend."

Simply classic

Although today's race marks a new chapter in the partnership of Pocono Raceway and IndyCar competition, a few machines will give fans a glimpse into the storied past of open-wheel racing.

The Pocono promotional team has put together a series of classic race cars for display throughout this weekend's festivities.

Track senior vice president Nick Igdalsky led the operation, and he is confident spectators will enjoy these pieces of racing history.

"I love the looks and sounds of these classic machines," Igdalsky told Classic Racing Times. "I believe that the cars, both on display and on track, will add to the festivities and appeal to the educated fans throughout the Northeast."

Included in the collection are a three-quarter midget piloted to victory by Mario Andretti and a Brawner McGee Scorpion, the same model driven by Art Pollard in the 1971 Indianapolis 500.

"We have assembled a world-class group of cars for the event, spanning the history of IndyCars from the 50s to the 80s," classic car representative Gary Mondschein said in Classic Racing Times. "These period cars well represent the history of open wheel racing and Pocono."

The cars will be on display near the paddock area this morning. They are also scheduled to be driven on-track prior to driver introductions.

Rahal frustrated

After hitting the wall during testing and lacking speed in Saturday's morning practice session, Graham Rahal hoped to shift the momentum of a difficult race weekend in his favor with a solid qualifying run.

Instead, his Pocono struggles continued.

The driver of the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda immediately knew his first lap derailed any hope of a good effort.

"We hit the hard limiter on the front straight, which all but ends your run, and unfortunately that killed our lap," Rahal said. "Our qualifying car seemed to be our weakness here."

The 24-year old posted an average speed of 217. 457 mph and will start in the middle of row six.

Rahal is still searching for his first IndyCar victory since his triumph in the 2008 season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Although he believes the Andretti Autosport cars are the class of the field, the Ohio native is optimistic that the length of the race could be an equalizer and give him a chance to win.

"Our race car is pretty good," he said. "It's going to be tough to pass here (today) with the aerodynamic setup that we have. But we will go out there and pound around and hopefully make up some spots."

Poconotes

Although Marco Andretti's Chevrolet topped the speed charts in final practice at 219.120 mph, Hondas claimed three of the top-five times during the session. Takuma Sato was second at 218.814 mph. Scott Dixon was fourth at 218.545 mph and Dario Franchitti fifth at 218.296 mph. â¦ Barracuda Racing driver Alex Tagliani crashed during qualifying. Tagliani will not need a backup car, but he will start in the 24th position. â¦ Dixon received a 10-spot penalty for an unapproved engine change. He will start the race in 17th position. â¦ As part of the Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Triple Crown promotion, the starting field will line up three-wide to take the green flag. It also is done at the two other Triple Crown tracks - Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Contact the writer: tpiccotti@timesshamrock.com

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.